Finding Love with the Billionaire by Anne-Marie Meyer

Author:Anne-Marie Meyer [Meyer, Anne-Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sweet Heart Books, LLC
Published: 2017-11-21T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

MADELINE

Madeline had never felt so cold in her life. Everything shivered as she sat on the shore, watching Liam build a fire.

A fire.

She closed her eyes as she envisioned sitting next to the fireplace at Christmastime. Its warmth surrounding her body.

If only she didn’t have to wake up. She was so happy here.

“Madeline. Wake up.” Liam’s voice cut through her reverie.

She moaned and pinched her eyes shut. Why was he taking her away from this memory? It was too welcoming. Here, her body was relaxed, and her mind was calm.

“Wake up!”

A hard shake to her shoulder snapped her from the dream she wished was a reality. Opening her eyes, she glanced up. Liam had unpacked his pack and had shaken out a sleeping bag next to her.

He was unbuttoning his shirt as he studied her.

“Wh-wh-what a-are you d-d-doing?” she asked, shivers cutting up each word.

“Your body is going into shock from the cold. We need to warm you up.” He stripped off his shirt and laid it by the fire.

Fire.

The yellow and orange flames licked the wood. It looked warm, but Madeline couldn’t feel any of it. Part of her wanted to climb into it. To feel something on her numb skin.

“Th-that was f-f-fast.”

“You’re lucky that I won fastest fire maker in Boy Scouts,” Liam said as he stripped down to his boxers. She stared at him. She wanted to poke fun at him. Say that the magazines apparently didn’t know what they were talking about. All the polls had concluded that he wore briefs—which was apparently wrong. But she couldn’t find the energy to talk. Or maybe she’d forgotten how to form words all together. She wasn’t sure.

Her eyes widened as he neared her and started to pull her arms up. She knew he was touching her, but she couldn’t feel it. It was the strangest experience. Why couldn’t she feel his fingers on her skin?

Once her shirt was off, he leaned her back and unbuttoned her pants. It took some shifting until he’d removed them and laid them in front of the fire.

“Come on,” he breathed into her ear as he pulled her to standing.

She knew she should have been able to stand, but every time she tried, her legs collapsed underneath her. Liam steadied his body and swept his arm under her knees, pulling her to his chest.

She rested her body against his as he made his way to the sleeping bag. Her body was no longer numb. It was . . . nothing. It was as if she no longer existed.

“Stay with me,” he said as he pulled back the sleeping bag and laid her down.

She was too weak and too numb to feel anything.

“L-L-Liam,” she whispered. The warmth of her breath on her lips shocked her. For a moment, she remembered what it felt like to be warm.

“Don’t talk,” he said as he climbed in next to her. Reaching over, he zipped the bag closed and pulled her next to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and ducked his head close to her.

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